Gender-Specific Pronouns, Agreement and

A pronoun should agree in number with its antecedent. For example, in the following sentence, the singular pronoun his refers to anyone, a singular antecedent.

If anyone calls, please write down his name and number.

Although grammatically correct, this type of construction is falling under attack as both sexist and illogical. If anyone truly means anyone, the caller could be a woman as well as a man. Some experts would argue that his in this sentence is used generically—that the pronoun is understood to mean both his and her. As more people become sensitive to sexist language, though, this position is growing less convincing.

In cases such as this, some writers and publications now choose to break the rule of pronoun-antecedent agreement by using a plural pronoun.

If anyone calls, please write down their names and numbers.

Although this construction is gaining popularity, it is still not acceptable for most formal writing.

The problem can also be solved by including both a masculine and a feminine pronoun.

If anyone calls, please write down his or her name and number.
Or: If anyone calls, please write down her or his name and number.

However, as this example demonstrates, using both pronouns can create an unwieldy sentence.

Better methods of eliminating an inappropriate gender-specific pronoun include:

• rephrasing the sentence to eliminate the problem.

Please write down the name and number of anyone who calls.

• using a plural noun and pronoun.

If any people call, please write down their names and numbers.

• substituting the gender-specific pronoun with a gender-neutral noun.

If anyone calls, please write down the caller’s name and number.

In some instances, a little thought will produce the best solution. Perhaps the writer of this sentence does not want the name and number of anyone who calls. Maybe he (or she) is interested in only a particular caller or group of callers of the same gender:

If James calls, please write down his number.
If anyone’s mother calls, please write down her name and number.

In these versions, not only has the gender-specific pronoun been used properly, but also the writer’s instructions have become clearer and more precise.